We have a bamboo problem in our backyard. The problem is that, when the bamboo started creeping in from the neighbor's yard, we didn't realize what a problem it would be and didn't deal with it right away. And now we have a thicket, nay, a forest of bamboo.
I've been reading up on bamboo removal, and there are almost as many opinions on the subject as there are people posting on the internets. This is what I learned: You can kill bamboo by cutting it down, then cutting down the new shoots every time they appear, until you eventually wear it out. Simply cutting down the bamboo, without herbicide, is totally ineffective. Roundup works best. Roundup doesn't work. Roundup does work, but only if you cut the stalks and paint the Roundup on the cut end within 15 seconds. The best method is to liberally apply rock salt, and if you want to replant with something else, too bad. The best method is to flood the bamboo for 2 weeks. The best method is to get a backhoe, dig out the entire area, and replace the soil. The best method is to pave it over with concrete.
The one thing that everyone agrees on: it takes a long time. Every method takes a couple of years of watching for new shoots and (depending on who you believe) either digging them out, cutting them down, or applying more herbicide. Well, no time like the present!
The backyard is partly terraced, so we've got two bamboo regions to deal with: the lower area was used by previous residents for an above-ground pool, and the "soil" is actually hard-packed sand. I'm more agreeable to heavy applications of Roundup there, because we won't be planting there anyway. When/if the bamboo is gone we'll probably use that spot for parking the truck. If we did decide to plant there for some reason, we'd have to replace the sand with garden soil anyway. The upper area is soil, though I'm not sure how good it is. If we could get rid of the bamboo without going crazy with the Roundup, that would be great. We'll have to get up there and see how bad it is.
Anyway, now while the bamboo is dormant seems like the time to start. Tomorrow marks the beginning of Operation Eradicate Bamboo! We're going to mix up some Roundup and try the "cut the stalk and immediately paint Roundup on the cut end" method. With both of us working together I'm hoping we'll get it all cut down this weekend, but if not, then as much as we can get done.
Then the next step will be separating the clump in our yard from the neighbor's yard. We talked to a tree service who will come with a ditch witch, dig a trench and put in a barrier. I read that running bamboo is all one plant underground. So you can't kill the part invading your yard without separating it from the rest. Just like, if you had a big shrub and cut a chunk out of one side, the rest of the shrub would still be alive and eventually it would grow back where you had cut away. Once the barrier is in place, you have to check it a couple of times a year and cut back any runners coming over the top.
After we have it all cut back and the barrier in place, we'll see if the "knock back the new shoots until you wear it out" method seems at all effective. If no, then I guess we'll find someone with a backhoe to come and dig it out.
i wonder if parking the truck over the cut off bamboo would help weaken it. that way it would be in shade.
of course if that didn't work then you'd have bamboo growing up into the truck in pretty short order which could be bad - so maybe this is a bad idea.
Get a panda.
clovepod: Several of the people online who claimed to successfully eradicate bamboo said that blocking the sun helped. One person said they used some kind of fabric or felt that's used as an underlayer in roofing? They said the first time the bamboo punched right through it. So they chopped & rounduped again, put down new fabric, and the second time less of the bamboo grew through. They did it over and over, each time less bamboo got through, until the bamboo finally gave up.
dave: I would totally hire a Panda Patrol to come to my yard!
you could probably use black plastic garbage bags for a similar effect to tarpaper.
if bamboo can punch through tarpaper then you definitely don't want to park a vehicle over it until after it's gone!
on other parts of the yard we've used sheets of black plastic to hold weeds down. It's just like garbage bags only bigger & comes in a variety of thicknesses. I think they sell it in the tarp/drop cloth section.
I wasn't thinking it would help much with the bamboo, but it certainly can't hurt, so it's probably worth doing. We may have to redo the plastic a few times but that's going to be true whatever we do.